50 Years Of Chipko Movement

50 Years Of Chipko Movement:

The Chipko movement, which originated in the 1970s in the Himalayan villages of Reni and Mandal, marked its 50th anniversary recently.

• The Chipko movement was a non-violent protest that began in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh), India, in 1973.
• Led by environmental activists such as Sundarlal Bahuguna and Gaura Devi, among others, the movement aimed to prevent the felling of trees in the Himalayan region.
• The name “Chipko” comes from the Hindi word meaning “embrace,” as villagers hugged the trees to prevent their cutting.
• The original Chipko movement dates back to 1730 when Amrita Devi Bishnoi and over 300 others from the Bishnoi sect sacrificed their lives protesting the felling of Khejarli trees in Rajasthan.)
• Impact of Chipko Movement : Environmental Awareness and Conservation Raised awareness about deforestation and the importance of conserving forests.